Granulomas In Spleen Research Articles

Newly isolated glycolipids from Rhodococcus terrae cell wall and their granuloma forming activities

Five glycolipids (GM-1, GM-2, GM-3, GM-4 and GM-5) were isolated from slightly acid-fast bacterium, Rhodococcus terrae. They were identified as trehalose dimycolate (GM-4), trehalose monomycolate (GM-5), glucose monomycolate (GM-3) and two newly isolated glycolipids (GM-1 and GM-2), respectively. Gaschromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the new glycolipids contained long-chain alcohols. Total carbon numbers of mycolic acid moieties of the glycolipids, similarly to other lipids, were ranging from C52 to C62 with three or four double bonds and C14 or C16 α-chain carbon numbers. After intravenous administration of the glycolipids to ICR mice in W/O/W emulsion, granulomatous changes were observed in the lungs and spleen, although they showed differences in potency depending on their sugar and acyl moieties. The toxicity of the glycolipids, indicated by the decline of body weights, were highly correlated to lung granuloma formation, but not to spleen granuloma formation.

Brugia pahangi: Antibodies and microfilaremias in Lewis rats

Male and female Lewis rats were inoculated subcutaneously in the left groin with 75 infective larvae of Brugia pahangi and microfilaremias were followed for as long as 420 days postinoculation. Patent infections developed in 64% of the female rats and 95% of the male rats. Mean prepatent periods were similar (65.9 and 63.9 days, respectively), but mean microfilaremias in males rose much higher, to a mean of 218 mf/0.25 ml blood at 270 days postinoculation. IgG titers, as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), to adult worm somatic antigen were higher than those to microfilariae in almost all rats. For both sexes, the most consistently microfilaremic rats had highest titers to these antigens. Granulomas with degenerating microfilaria were present in the spleen of male rats with high microfilaremias (>100–300 mf/0.25 ml blood). Ouchterlony precipitin reactions suggested that most rats with spleen granulomas responded to microfilarial antigen components to which most rats without granulomas did not. Neither spleen granulomas nor antibody responses measured in this study appeared to have protective (microfilaremia-lowering) value. As measured by microfilaremias, the male Lewis rat is not as susceptible as some conventional hosts of B. pahangi, but it does consistently become infected and remains microfilaremic for more than a year. Preferential male susceptibility indicates that this model may be useful for studying this aspect of human lymphatic filariasis.

In vitro detection of cell-mediated immunity to antigens associated with Hodgkin's granulomas.

Inhibition of the migration of peripheral blood leucocytes with extracts of homologous spleen granulomas was demonstrated in 2 out of 19 patients with Hodgkin's disease prior to any irradiation or cytostatic therapy. These patients were the only ones in the material classified as stage IA. Furthermore, leucocyte migration was inhibited in 2 out of 3 patients tested shortly after high voltage irradiation against mantle-fields. Based on these findings it is concluded that lymphocytes, which are sensitized specifically against components of the granulomas, might occur in Hodgkin patients with restricted involvement of lymph nodes, and probable patients with more widespread disease might regain their specific cell-mediated immunity after radiotherapy.